Image courtesy of Iowa Workforce Development

Unemployment rates saw a slight incline to begin the new year in the Raccoon Valley Radio area.

According to Iowa Workforce Development, Guthrie County had the largest increase in the Raccoon Valley Radio area of 1.1-percent from December to January to 4.2-percent unemployment. Greene County reported a 0.4-percent increase in unemployment from December to January to 2.4-percent and Dallas County had a 0.3-percent increase to 2.4-percent in January. 

All three counties were similar in unemployment rates at that point last year. Guthrie County had a 4.1-percent unemployment rate in January of 2022, compared to Greene County’s 2.5-percent and Dallas County’s 2.4-percent unemployment rate.

Statewide, Iowa Workforce Development reports a slight decrease in unemployment from December to January, from 3.1-percent to just three-percent. The national unemployment rate for this past January was 3.5-percent.